LEARNER SUPPORT EDUCATOR TRAINING

BARRIERS TO LEARNING

AND DEVELOPMENT

Presentation designed by Jean Fourie

Learning Problems

Presentation designed by Jean Fourie

Ask children these questions...

• Do you struggle in school? • Do you think you should be doing better than you are in school? • Is reading harder for you than it should be? • Does your head think one thing but your hand writes something

else? • Is writing slow and really hard for you? • Do you make spelling and other errors when you write? • Are you having difficulty with maths? • Is it hard for you to keep your notebooks and papers organized? • Do you end up losing or forgetting books, notes, pencils?

GLOBAL RIGHT ANALYTIC LEFT

Filters distort and interfere

Memories

Values

Emotions

physiology

Neural pathways

Noah felt like he was always doing school work. While his friends were meeting for soccer games after school, he was back home in his room reading and rereading the same material. But no matter how hard Noah studied, he had difficulty remembering things and his grades stayed average. Meanwhile, his friend Sean, who never seemed to study, always did well in tests. It didn't seem fair.

Because Noah was so frustrated, his dad made an appointment with the school psychologist. She diagnosed Noah with a learning disability. Although Noah felt relieved to know what was going on, he was also worried. He didn't like the "disability" label. And he was concerned about what it might mean for his future. Would he be able to go to college and study engineering as he'd hoped?

• For someone diagnosed with a learning disability, it can seem scary at first. But a learning disability doesn't have anything to do with a person's intelligence — after all, successful people such as Walt Disney, Alexander Graham Bell, and Winston Churchill all had learning disabilities.

• Noah is one of nearly 4 million school-age kids and teens who are diagnosed with learning disabilities.

How many columns?

Feel disorientated Like the LD kid

Learners who have difficulties with learning are often not that easily identified in the classroom because their disability may be hidden. It is only when you have the opportunity of working with a learner that you are able to see that he or she is finding the learning of information difficult. It is for this reason that learning disabilities are often referred as the “invisible disability”.

A learner is considered to have a specific learning difficulty if that learner does not achieve according to his or her age level and ability in the areas of oral expressive and receptive language; reading; writing and mathematics. The disorder manifests as difficulties in the ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell and do mathematics.

Defining a Learning Disability:

This is a particularly difficult term to define. It includes a heterogeneous group of students who, despite adequate cognitive functioning and the ability to learn some skills and strategies easily, have great difficulty learning scholastic skills.

USA Dept of Education definition:

"disorder in one or more basic psychological processes

involved in understanding or using language, spoken or

written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to

listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical

calculations."

Every individual with a learning disability is unique and shows a different combination and degree of difficulties. A common characteristic among people with learning disabilities is uneven areas of ability, “a weakness within a sea of strengths.” For instance, a child with dyslexia who struggles with reading, writing and spelling may be very capable in math and science.

Learning disabilities should not be confused with learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps; of mental retardation; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantages.

How Common are Learning Disabilities?

Very common! As many as 1 out of every 5 people in the United States has a learning disability. Almost 1 million children (ages 6 through 21) have some form of a learning disability and receive special education in school. In fact, one-third of all children who receive special education have a learning disability (Twenty-Ninth Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Education,

2010).

•Spoken language. There may be a delay or disorder in listening and speaking skills. •Written language. There may be a difficulty with reading, writing or spelling. This includes dyslexia, a deficit in understanding or using language that frequently causes children to reverse letters or words. •Mathematics. The child may have difficulty performing arithmetic functions or understanding basic mathematical concepts. •Reasoning. The child may have difficulty organizing and integrating thoughts

What can you see?

Visual closure synthesis

How Are Learning Disabilities Formally Diagnosed?

• learning disability is defined as a significant gap between a person's intelligence and the skills the person has achieved at each age. This means that a severely retarded 10-year-old who speaks like a 6-year-old probably doesn't have a language or speech disability. He has mastered language up to the limits of his intelligence. On the other hand, a fifth grader with an IQ of 100 who can't write a simple sentence probably does have LD.

• Learning disorders may be informally flagged by observing significant delays in the child's skill development. A 2-year delay in the primary grades is usually considered significant. For older students, such a delay is not as debilitating, so learning disabilities aren't usually suspected unless there is more than a 2-year delay. Actual diagnosis of learning disabilities, however, is made using standardized tests that compare the child's level of ability to what is considered normal development for a person of that age and intelligence.

The following components must be adhered to before a diagnosis can be made:

1. Learner’s experience difficulties with their schoolwork. They are often

characterised by their weak or poor level of performance in schoolwork. 2. There is a discrepancy between the expected and the actual achievement

shown. There is often a discrepancy between their level of oral language, and their scholastic work: reading, writing and mathematics performance.

3. There are difficulties present in basic psychological processing – attending,

memory, thinking, ordering and so on. 4. Rule out difficulties that are caused by visual, auditory, motor, mental,

emotional or environmental factors. There must be no other reason to explain why the learner is not developing and achieving in these academic areas. There must be no other primary influences that are affecting the learning process.

Causes: • Very difficult to determine exact causes.

• inherent factors within the individual related to neurological dysfunction.

• May be exacerbated by environmental factors such as poverty, malnutrition or slight, minimal brain injury.

Most frequently displayed symptoms:

• Short attention span • Poor memory • Difficulty following directions • Inability to discriminate between/among letters,

numerals, or sounds • Poor reading and/or writing ability • Eye-hand coordination problems; poorly

coordinated • Difficulties with sequencing • Disorganization and other sensory difficulties

Problems with pencil grip, fine motor control and handwriting.

In or out?

Other characteristics that may be present:

• Performs differently from day to day • Responds inappropriately in many instances • Distractible, restless, impulsive • Says one thing, means another • Difficult to discipline • Doesn’t adjust well to change • Difficulty listening and remembering • Difficulty telling time and knowing right from left • Difficulty sounding out words • Reverses letters • Places letters in incorrect sequence • Difficulty understanding words or concepts • Delayed speech development; immature speech

Same or different sizes?

Manifestations of Specific Learning Disabilities:

The following are some signs of possible learning difficulties: • Difficulty in understanding and following directions. • Difficulties expressing thoughts orally or in writing. • Difficulties finding the correct words. • Difficulty with handwriting and fine motor activities. • Difficulty with visual or auditory sequential memory. • Difficulty memorising words or basic facts. • Difficulty in organising their desks, stationery and books • Difficulty in time management, telling the time and in understanding the

timetable. • Learners may not be motivated to do difficult tasks. • Learners have difficulties with spelling, blending and analysing of phonemes (the

basic sounds of a language). • Learners have difficulties in transferring knowledge that is learned in one area to

another area.

Learning Disabilities is a general term that can include:

• Dyslexia: Severe difficulty in learning to read, particularly as it relates to decoding

of the written text (deg for beg), sequencing (act instead of cat)difficulties in spelling.

• Dysgraphia: Severe difficulty in learning to write. Handwriting difficulties resulting

in illegibility and difficulty with conceptualization of ideas. • Dyspraxia: Severe difficulty in making and coordinating the precise movements

used in the production of spoken language, although there is no evident damage to the muscles or nerves.

• Dyscalculia: Severe difficulty in learning mathematical concepts, operations and

computations. • Aphasia: Severe difficulty in speaking: fluency, articulation problems, word finding problems (anomia).

LD can also include.. Central Auditory Processing Disorder

Difficulty processing and remembering auditory language-related tasks

Non-Verbal Learning Disorders Trouble with nonverbal cues - body language, gestures, facial cues

Visual Perceptual Motor Deficit Reverses letters; cannot copy accurately; eyes hurt and itch; loses place; struggles with cutting

Always keep in mind that children with

learning difficulties may experience

emotional problems as well, such as

depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and

stress.

HELP THEM WITH THIS!!

Famous dyslexics from history: • Albert Einstein -did not begin to read until he was nine, but by the age of twelve

was a brilliant mathematician and physicist. He failed his first attempt at entrance into college and lost two teaching jobs because of his dyslexia but when his theory of relativity was finally recognised, he became world famous and received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.

• Leonardo da Vinci 1452 - 1519. Leonardo was a most prolific inventor, painter, architect, scientist and engineer. His inventions are world famous. He even designed a helicopter and submarine four hundred years before it became practical to produce these machines. We can see his mirror writing in his notebooks in the British Museum in London.

• Thomas Edison, a prolific US inventor. His most famous invention was the electric light bulb in 1879

• Hans Christian Anderson, author of 168 fairy stories, including classics such as 'The Ugly Duckling', 'The Snow Queen' and 'The Little Mermaid'.

• Woodrow Wilson - President of the USA 1913-1921. • Walt Disney

Sara's Story When Sara was in the first grade, her teacher started teaching the students how to

read. Sara's parents were really surprised when Sara had a lot of trouble. She was bright and eager, so they thought that reading would come easily to her. It didn't. She couldn't match the letters to their sounds or combine the letters to create words.

Sara's problems continued into second grade. She still wasn't reading, and she was having trouble with writing, too. The school asked Sara's mom for permission to evaluate Sara to find out what was causing her problems. Sara's mom gave permission for the evaluation.

The school psychologist conducted an evaluation and learned that Sara has a learning disability. She started getting special help in school right away.

She works with a reading teacher every day. The School Based Support Team has worked out an individual support plan (ISP) for her. She has a buddy who helps her with reading in class. For tests and exams she is allowed extra time. She also has the question papers read to her or put onto a tape (amanuensis). A scribe writes down her answers that she is able to give verbally. Now that her teacher knows of her problems she understands the difficulty and is able to support her in class.

She's in the fourth grade now, and she's made real progress! She is working hard to bring her reading and writing up to grade level. With help from the school, she'll keep learning and doing well

Moving or still?

SUPPORTING LEARNERS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

• Educators need to be aware that these learners are not lazy. They are simply not coping with their work.

• These learners require extra help and assistance in their areas of weaknesses. • They may require speech or occupational therapy to aid their weaknesses. • Educators may need to give them extra time since their work pace is often slow. • They will often need information to be repeated a few times before they fully

comprehend it. • Educators need to use a variety of materials and media in their teaching. Concrete

aids also often enhance quicker learning. • Learners with disabilities need routine in their daily lives. • Information should be presented systematically and in a well-structured manner.

What can you see?

Provide instruction and accommodations to address the student’s special needs:

• breaking tasks into smaller steps, and giving directions verbally and in writing;

• letting the student with reading problems use instructional materials that are accessible to those with print disabilities;

• letting the student with listening difficulties borrow notes from a classmate or use a tape recorder

• letting the student with writing difficulties use a computer with specialized software that spell checks, grammar checks, or recognizes speech.

Ode to my spell Chequer

Eye halve a spelling chequer it came with my pea sea it planely marques four my revue miss steaks eye kin knot sea. Eye strike a key and tipe a werd and weight four it two say weather eye am wrong oar write it shows me strait a weigh. As soon as a mist ache is maid it nose bee fore two long and eye can put the error rite its rare lea ever wrong. Eye have run this poem threw it I am shore your pleased two no its letter perfect awl the weigh my chequer tolled me sew.

Straight or curved lines?

Which leans more?

Parenting a Learning Disabled Child

Hugely emotional challenges and stress.

Many parents experience predictable periods of stress as they adjust to the demands of parenting a learning disabled child. These feelings are often similar to those people commonly experience after a significant loss such as a divorce, loss of a job, or death of a loved one.

Denial of the Child's Learning Disability

Some parents deny their child's learning disability. A parent in denial will avoid talking about the disability and will make up excuses and alternate explanations of the problem. The parent may behave as if everything is okay and ignore the child or his learning problems. Alternately, the parent may blame the child for his poor school performance and believe the problem is the child's laziness or lack of effort. A child whose parents are in denial is at-risk for being punished for his poor school performance, which is inappropriate and may cause psychological damage to the child. This stage is especially difficult to deal with when spouses disagree on the child's disability and how the academic problems should be handled.

Anger about the Child's Disorder

Anger is another common reaction in parents of children with learning disabilities. Parents struggling with anger may become argumentative, demanding, and verbally aggressive when dealing with a child's underachievement. They may project their anger toward a teacher, their spouse, or their child. Some may also be angry with themselves over the child's disability and their inability to "fix" the problem.

Blaming Others for the Learning Disability

Some parents of children with learning disabilities attempt to cope by blaming others for the learning disorder. The parent in the blaming stage may believe or say that: the child is not learning because the teacher is not doing her job;

• a spouse is making excuses for the child, whom the parent believes is not making the effort he should in school; or

• incompetent teachers and school staff as a whole have caused the problem.

• This stage is especially difficult and stressful when spouses disagree about the child's disability. Further, the blamer may be unable to get past blaming to focus on resolving the child's learning problems.

Grief and the Learning Disabled child

Some parents of learning disabled children go through a grieving process that begins when they learn about the disability. Parents who grieve over their children's disabilities are usually concerned that their children may struggle for the rest of their lives. They grieve for the successful child they may have wished and dreamt for. Parents may feel new grief over the years if their child has difficulty at various milestones when other children succeed. Passing a driver's test, college entrance exams, and similar events may trigger this grief.

Worry and LD Children

Worry and grief often go hand-in-hand in parents of learning disabled children. Parents may worry about: their child's self esteem;

• achievement and ability to make it through school; • whether the child will learn to read, do math, or

perform other important life skills; • whether the child will be able to attend college or a

vocational program; • the child having a successful career; and • the child developing life skills needed to have a family

and a normal adult life.

Tips and Resources for Parents Learn about LD. The more you know, the more you can help yourself and your child. Take advantage

of the excellent resources out there for parents.

• Praise your child when he or she does well. Children with LD are often very good at a variety of things. Find out what your child really enjoys doing, such as dancing, playing soccer, or working with computers. Give your child plenty of opportunities to pursue his or her strengths and talents.

• Find out the ways your child learns best. Does he or she learn by hands-on practice, looking, or listening?

• Let your child help with household chores. These can build self-confidence and concrete skills. Keep instructions simple, break down tasks into smaller steps/

• Pay attention to your child’s mental health (and your own!). Be open to counseling, which can help your child deal with frustration, feel better about himself or herself, and learn more about social skills.

• Talk to other parents whose children have LD. Parents can share practical advice and emotional support. Join a parent support group in your area.

• Meet with teachers and help develop an IESP to address your child’s needs. Plan what accommodations your child needs, and don’t forget to talk about assistive technology

• Establish a positive working relationship with your child’s teacher - regular communication, exchange information about your child’s progress at home and at school.

Homework Help Make homework a priority. Help your child be a success at homework.

Monitor on a "one to one basis”

Keep it FUN - a positive experience to develop confidence

Parents know how to motivate their own children

• Don’t do homework during a favourite TV programme or when there is something else your child is really interested in doing.

• Time Management - Plan to have a break after school and then do homework.

• keep learning sessions short - 20 minute

• Intersperse these sessions with a short break for a drink or something to eat, or play or just to relax.

• Rewards - small rewards are pleasurable but do not be tempted to always offer material rewards. The real reward is the pleasure your child gets from being able to do something new and from knowing how pleased you are.

Useful Websites • LD Online http://www.ldonline.org/educators National Center for Learning Disabilities http://www.ncld.org/at-school/especially-for-teachers

Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children http://www.dldcec.org/ Learning Disabilities Association of America http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/teachers/index.asp

National Center for Accessible Instructional Materials http://aim.cast.org/ Reading Rockets http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/teachers • http://www.allaboutvision.com/parents/learning.htm • http://www.2learn.org/ • http://www.brainpowergames.co.za/ • http://www.ldaamerica.org/aboutld/parents/ld_basics/symptoms.asp Learning disabilities Association

• http://childparenting.about.com/od/learningproblems/a/sldidea.htm • http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/familyresources/l/blld2.htm#learn9 • http://learningdisabilities.about.com • http://nichcy.org/ National dissemination centre for children with disabilities • http://www.health24.com/medical/Diseases_A_to_Z/777-4198,12392.asp • http://school.familyeducation.com/special-education/learning-disabilities/36097.html

• http://www.psychline.co.za/Home.html • http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/learning_problem/learning_disabilities.html

• http://www.learningdisabilities.org.za/ Destinata School in JHB – for specific LD • http://www.learning-workshop.co.za/learning-workshop.php CPT therapy centre • http://www.brainempower.org • http://www.kidzone.ws/math/wordproblems.htm word problems online • http://www.softschools.com/math/worksheets/ free maths work sheets • http://www.teachingideas.co.uk